>>> THIS MONTH, WE’RE
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY WITH
OUR SERIES "CHANGE MAKERS."
EARLIER IN THE PROGRAM,
SHEINELLE BROUGHT US THE STORY
OF A GROUP OF TRAILBLAZERS FROM
HER HOMETOWN.
>> FASCINATING PIECE OF BLACK
HISTORY YOU MAY NOT KNOW.
THE DOCKUM DRUGSTORE SIT-IN IN
WICHITA, KANSAS.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE STILL
RESONATES TODAY.
JUST RECENTLY, IT LED TO A
POWERFUL AND EMOTIONAL MOMENT OF
RECONCILIATION.
>> Reporter: YOU WANTED TO GET
SOMETHING TO EAT AT THE DOCKUM
DRUGSTORE, HOW DID IT HAPPEN
THEN?
>> WELL, THEY POLITELY TOLD US
WE COULD GET FOOD TO CARRY OUT.
>> Reporter: DOCKUM DRUGSTORE IN
WICHITA, KANSAS, THE SITE OF A
CIVIL RIGHTS BREAKTHROUGH THAT’S
ONLY BEGINNING TO GET
RECOGNITION.
>> WE JUST WENT IN SHIFTS AND
SAT THERE.
AND WE WERE VERY QUIET.
SOMEBODY SAID ANYTHING TO US, WE
WERE NOT TO RESPOND TO ANY
NEGATIVE, OF COURSE, AND NAME
CALLING AND WHATEVER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THAT.
>> Reporter: IN 1958, AROUND TWO
DOZEN BLACK STUDENTS DECIDED TO
HOLD A SIT-IN AT DOCKUM,
DEMANDING FOOD SERVICE AT THE
COUNTER, HOPING TO PROMPT CHANGE
AT ONE STORE THAT WOULD RIPPLE
THROUGH THE FRANCHISE.
A PEACEFUL ACT THAT CAME WITH
RISKS.
>> A YOUNG, WHITE MALE LOOKED UP
AND SAW ME, AND HE TURNED SO HE
WOULD BUMP ME.
HE DIDN’T HURT ME, BUT I KNEW
WHY HE DID THAT.
>> Reporter: THE SIT-IN WENT ON
FOR THREE WEEKS, UNTIL THE OWNER
OF DOCKUM DRUGSTORE WALKED IN
AND TOLD THE STORE MANAGER TO
SERVE THEM.
HE WAS LOSING TOO MUCH BUSINESS.
>> WE WERE JUST ELATED WHEN WE
FINALLY COULD SIT DOWN AND HAVE
A SODA WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE
COUNTER.
>> Reporter: THE DOCKUM
DRUGSTORES EVENTUALLY ABOLISHED
DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AT
THEIR LOCATIONS IN WICHITA,
MAKING THIS THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL
STUDENT-LED SIT-IN OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ERA.
BUT THE STORY DOESN’T END THERE.
MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER, A
WOMAN FROM GEORGIA, TRACY
HARRELSON, DECIDED TO CONTACT
SOME OF THOSE PARTICIPANTS.
TRACY, TELL ME YOUR
GRANDFATHER’S CONNECTION TO THE
DOCK J
DOCKUM SIT-IN.
>> MY GRANDFATHER, ROBERT
DOCKUM, OWNED A COUPLE
DRUGSTORES UNDER REXALL DRUG
COMPANY.
>> Reporter: TRACY WAS 6 MONTHS
OLD WHEN THE PEACEFUL PROTEST
OCCURRED AT ONE OF HER
GRANDFATHER’S STORES.
NOW, SHE FELT COMPELLED TO ACT.
>> I WAS A PART OF A ZOOM CALL
THIS SUMMER.
IT WAS LADIES,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HISPANIC,
WHITE, WE WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT
THE RACIAL TENSION AT THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, HOW COULD WE MAKE A
DIFFERENCE AS CHRISTIANS AND AS
WOMEN?
DOCK
DOCKUM DRUGSTORE SIT-IN
LITERALLY CAME TO MY MIND AS I
WAS LISTENING.
>> Reporter: ROBERT DOCK JUM’S
STORES REFUSED TO SERVE FOOD TO
THE STUDENTS BECAUSE OF THE
COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.
HIS GRANDDAUGHTER WANTED TO MAKE
AMENDS.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO REACH
OUT TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE
SIT-IN?
>> I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO
APOLOGIZE FOR MY FAMILY, AND I
ALSO WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO
ET THEM.
IT WAS A COURAGEOUS THING THAT
THEY DID, SO I DID A ZOOM CALL
AND MET SEVEN OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN THAT WERE INVOLVED.
I WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS AN APOLOGY
TO THEM.
I GOT TO HEAR THEIR STORIES
FIRSTHAND.
>> Reporter: THE VIDEO CALL,
ORGANIZED BY A LOCAL TV STATION,
LASTED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.
THE APOLOGY HIT HOME.
WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE, TO HEAR
HER SPEAK TO YOU?
>> IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE OF
HER, TO WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR
HER GRANDFATHER.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A BIG STEP.
AS A GROUP, WE REALLY
APPRECIATED HER APOLOGY.
IT WAS ACCEPTED.
>> Reporter: IT’S INTERESTING,
BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY TOOK
COURAGE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE
IN THAT SIT-IN.
>> YEAH.
>> Reporter: BUT ONE COULD ARGUE
THAT IT ALSO TAKES COURAGE FOR
SOMEONE LIKE YOU TO, FRANKLY, IT
WAS YOUR GRANDFATHER, IT WASN’T
YOU, BUT FOR YOU TO FEEL MOVED
ENOUGH TO WANT TO REACH OUT AND
CONNECT WITH THEM AND HAVE A
CONVERSATION.
>> YES.
THEY’RE HEROS.
THEY HAVE CHANGED THE COURSE OF
HISTORY.
THIS BROUGHT AN EXTREME AMOUNT
OF HOPE, AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT
GOD WANTS TO TELL US TODAY, TOO.
THERE IS HOPE.
THERE IS RECONCILIATION.
THERE IS PEACE AVAILABLE FOR THE
ONES THAT ARE WILLING TO COME
TOGETHER.
>> SHE IS SO WONDERFUL.
WE TALKED FOR A WHILE AFTER
THAT.
GOSH, SO MANY TAKEAWAYS.
I SHOULD QUICKLY THANK THE
KANSAS AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSEUM.
THE REALITY IS, I WAS HERE IN 30
ROCKEFELLER PLAZA, AND THEY WERE
IN WICHITA.
WE WERE TRYING TO THINK OF A
PLACE THEY COULD SAFELY GO.
I REMEMBERED GOING TO THE MUSEUM
GROWING UP, SO THEY OPENED THEIR
DOORS FOR THIS.
IT’S JUST SO TIMELY, ESPECIALLY
WITH WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH
NOW.
THE FACT SHE’D REACH OUT AND
THEY’D HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
>> I LOVE THAT SHE WAS MOVED BY
HER CHRISTIAN FAITH.
SHE WAS MOVED BY HER FAITH
TOWARD RECONCILIATION.
HERE’S ANOTHER REMINDER, THIS
WASN’T THAT LONG AGO.
>> 100%.
>> LIKE, THIS WAS NOT 100 YEARS
AGO.
A FEW DECADES.
>> ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER
PEOPLE, WHEN READING ABOUT
HISTORY, EVEN MY KIDS, IT’S ON
THE PAGE OF A BOOK.
YOU ALMOST FEEL REMOVED FROM IT.
IT’S LIKE, NO, NO, I WAS SITTING
NEXT TO HIM FOR DECADES.
>> YOU REALIZE THAT CURRENT
EVENTS BECOME HISTORY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I SHOULD SAY, WE PUT MUCH MORE
OF THIS AND WE WILL HAVE OTHER
CHANGEMAKER MAKER STORIES.
2:00 P.M. AND 7:00 P.M. EASTERN
ON OUR STREAMING CHANNEL, TODAY
ALL DAY.
FIND THAT ON PEACOCK.
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